Pointing Fingers Often Get Broken
by Through the Mirror Darkly
Summary: When Sam shows up to confront Elizabeth of knowing about Jason, a shocking truth comes out leaving both women blindsided and changes everything.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital, ABC owns it and it's characters. This is purely for amusement, and to hone my writing skills. Nothing more, nothing less. Thank you so much.

Summary: When Sam shows up to confront Elizabeth of knowing about Jason, a shocking truth comes out leaving both women blindsided and changes everything.

Pairings: Liason, with a side of Samtrick and past! Jasam

Inspiration: A different take on Fallouts Aren't Pretty.

Chapter Inspired by the Song: "Playing God" by Paramore

Warning: It's very easy to paint Sam as the villian as a Liason fan, to bring up the past and say look Elizabeth might have done this, but Sam did this. But in truth, Elizabeth and Sam have buried the hatchet over and over. It's the writers who keep ressurecting it, and beating a dead horse. So I don't want to backtrack any of the characters here. I don't want Elizabeth to be put in the role of liar, and lose out on love again. I don't want Sam to be crazy Sam from 2007, but one who has the potientially to continue to grow and move forward. And I don't want lapdog Jason, I want a man who is willing to stand up for the person he wants to be with no matter what. This is how this story came to be.

* * *

Pointing Fingers Often Get Broken

by ThroughtheMirrorDarkly

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 _"You don't have to believe me,_

 _But the way, the way I see it,_

 _The next time you point a finger,_

 _And I'll break it, break it off."_

-Playing God, Paramore

* * *

Jason stood there feeling as if he had stepped into the twilight zone. He felt like he had been plunged head first underwater, and Sam's accusations sounded far away that he could barely hear them. His heart clenched inside of his chest as he stared at Elizabeth. All the blood drained from his fiance's face, and her blue eyes widened with shock and pain at Sam's rant. Elizabeth had voiced concerns that Sam would be hurt that Jason had stayed with her, and after he told her that she was the one he wanted, she had told him to make sure Sam knew that Danny and her wouldn't be left on the outside of his life. Elizabeth told him that she knew how painful that was, and even though her and Sam would never be friends, she would want to visit that pain upon them.

It was almost perfect, Jason thought, a cold stone settling into the pit of his stomach. If Carly had never found out...if he hadn't fallen into the old impluse to rush to her aid...if only, and he shook his head. "Sam, you need to stop," Jason grounded out, his teeth gnashed together. "Elizabeth didn't know about my identity. She was just as blindsided as you at the wedding."

"Jason, you've only got to see the side of Elizabeth that she wants you to see," Sam stated, vehemently. Her dark eyes glaring daggers at the other brunette, and she couldn't believe she ever respected the other woman. "She isn't this perfect, little angel that you think she is."

"Oh, I'm nobody's little angel, Sam," Elizabeth snarled. She was done with Sam's accusations. She knew she had done horrible things in her past, but Sam wasn't a saint either, and Elizabeth was tired of the other woman pretending to be. "And if you stay in my house one more minute, you are going to remember that the hard way."

"I'd like to see you try," Sam challenged, viciously.

"Hey! Hey! Enough," Jason stepped in between the two women, his jaw clenched in frustration.

"No, it's not enough," Sam countered, on a shout. "That bitch stole my life again, and I can't believe you are letting her to do this to us."

"First off," Jason bit out, "there isn't an _us_ , Sam. There hasn't been for a long time, and unless I've been mistaken you are engaged to Patrick. You've mourned me, and you moved on, and you started a new life. Just like I started one with Elizabeth, and she has stolen nothing from you. Not now, and not all those years ago."

There was a beat of silence where both women turned to gape at him with shocked expression. Elizabeth was the first to recover, and she gently placed a hand on his arm. "You remember that?" She whispered out, as if half not believing it.

"Yes," Jason whispered out. His blue eyes turned to look at her, and his eyes flickered across her face with such love and sadness. "I remember finding Sam with Ric, and then you showing up at my doorstep. I remember giving into the part of me that was always a little bit in love with you, and I never regreted it. Not then and not now."

Sam made a noise, a pained sound and took a step back away from them as if physically struck. It was like reliving all those times when Jason said he was hers, and then she would catch him staring at Elizabeth from across the room. The pain of knowing that half of him would always belong to Elizabeth, and there was no way to change that. She could feel any hope of being with Jason, to rekindle their love slip right through her fingers.

Neither Elizabeth nor Jason cared. Elizabeth had tears in her eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. "Oh, Jason, why didn't you say anything to me?" She asked, her voice laced with hurt and sorrow.

"Because I knew the second I acknowledge the fact that I was Jason Morgan, the second that this...our lives would be changed," he said, with a shake of his head. "I knew that everyone that loved him, would come rushing in with their opinions and what they thought I should do so I kept quiet so I could keep you."

Elizabeth stared at him, her mouth moved, but not a sound came from it. She placed a hand to her forehead, and shook her head side to side slightly. "Jason, you know that I loved you. I have loved you for so long, but kept it to myself. When I found that you...were you, it just made all my feelings I felt for you when I met you as Jake Doe...I finally understood it," she told him, with a soft laugh. "You didn't have to hide that you started to remember after our not-wedding."

Jason looked down at his feet. The painful and unsettled feeling in his stomach grew tenfold and he felt guilt claw viciously at him.

"So you remember, and you didn't say... _anything_?" Sam said, in a hoarse whisper. A tear ran down her cheek, and her upper body shook with a repressed sob. "How could you do that, Jason? How could you say nothing? Just to say with _her_?"

Elizabeth let out a sardonic chuckle. "With me? Like that's so impossible? Like Jason and I don't have years of history, even before we made Jake. Like I haven't helped to save his life, or do anything illegal to help keep him out of jail. It's not like I was the only to help him when he was Jake Doe. It not's like I let him into my home, or was the only one who believed in him or stood behind him when he was being brainwashed into doing Helena's brainwashing," she countered, her arms crossed across her chest. Her blue eyes were hard, and she drew herself up to her full height. "Oh, wait, that's exactly what happened. You are the one who hated Jake on sight. You are the one who said he was nothing like Jason. You can try to rewrite Jason and mine's history all you like, but we both know the truth."

"Oh, please, you couldn't handle Jason's life," Sam snapped. "And you can't handle it now."

"Really? Because it seems to me the only who isn't handling Jason's life right now...is you, Sam," Elizabeth said, grinning broadly. She took dark pleasure in the jab after having to deal with all the things Sam had thrown in her face, just to hurt her and turn Jason against her. She didn't know where Sam got the idea of her lying about Jason's identity, but the other woman couldn't be more wrong. Elizabeth would never lie about something like that. Yes, she had lied before to protect herself and to spare those that she loved pain, but she knew how much Jason meant to everyone. She wouldn't have done that. Not even to get back at Sam. "You were happy with Patrick. You were happy being a mother to Emma. You were fine with being a friend to Jake, and even a little bit to me. But as soon as you found out Jason's identity, you threw that down the drain and no matter how you try to turn this around on me...that's all on you."

"You know nothing of what I feel," Sam told the other woman, with a glower. "If you for one second had the common deceny to think about what you were doing to me, or to Danny then you would have came clean. But no, you wanted Jason to yourself and you found the perfect way to do it. You kept Nicolas's sick lie to keep playing house with Jason. I bet you got a sick kick out of keeping everyone Jason loved out of his life."

"You mean, like you did when you kept Jason and me apart by hiring men to point guns at us?" Elizabeth said, her voice deceptively calm. Her words hit true, and a flash of guilt that would never fade flashed through Sam's eyes. "I get that you are hurting, Sam. I know how that hurts to have someone that you love come back, but not love you like before. I went through it with Lucky all those years ago. And maybe this accusation...maybe it's a way to try to make things simpler. You can't get back at Helena because she is dead, and Nicolas is practically untouchable so you needed to have a target to lash out at, and given our volitale history, you chose me."

"My God," Sam scoffed. "I can't believe you. You have the nerve to lie to my face. To Jason's face for months. I heard Jake talking to Danny, Elizabeth. I heard him say he had a secret about you, and that it had to do with Jason." She turned her dark eyes on Jason, and looked at him pleadingly. "Jason...this isn't some ploy to get you back. This isn't about that. Thsi is me caring for you, the father of my child and the person who helped me through some dark times. Elizabeth is lying to you, and you don't want a relationship built upon a lie. It crumbles and leaves you devastated in ways that are unimaginably painful, and I don't want that for you. Nicolas and Elizabeth stole your life."

Jason stood there, with a painful knot in the back of his throat. He hadn't wanted things to end up like this. He wanted things to be peaceful, to resolve the past and move on to a better future. He didn't want to hurt these two women or put them in this position of fighting over him like last time. "Nicolas didn't tell Elizabeth anything," Jason choked out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He didn't tell her."

"For God's sake, Jason, open you eyes! Nicolas told her!" Sam said, clinging to her accusations. Without them every hope in her heart would fall apart. Without them then that meant the divide between her and Jason was made even wider by Elizabeth. It was selfish, a part of her acknowledged this, but that part fell deaf in the wake of knowing the man that had been her whole life was standing in front of her. And she wanted him to remember that. To remember her, even if only for a moment. "He did!"

"No, he didn't!" Jason shouted back. "He told me!"

The house fell so silent that one could hear a pen drop. Jason's chest heaved up and down as he stared at Sam who looked like he had destoryed her entire world while Elizabeth sank weakly on the couch, looking up at him like she had never seen him before.

"He told me," he repeated, this time softly and he felt as if he had tied a noose around his neck.

And the rope was tightening.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have been wishing for someone to write a fic where Nicolas goes and tells Jason the truth to keep him from Elizabeth, instead of Nicolas telling Elizabeth. One where Jason decided to keep the secret because he didn't like Jason Morgan, or his past, and he loved Elizabeth. Slowly his memories came back, re-enforcing this decision because he remembers how people played on their insecurities and fears and kept them from each other. He wanted a clena slate and chance to actually be with Elizabeth. He thought this was his chance, and he knew Sam was happier and better off with Patrick than with him. Since no one has done it yet, I decided to do a short version, but I would love for someone to take this idea and make a longer fic out of it.

RRs are appreciated as always. And for those waiting for a reply on Fallouts reviews, I will get to them tonight or tomorrow. :D


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital, ABC owns it and it's characters. This is purely for amusement, and to hone my writing skills. Nothing more, nothing less. Thank you so much.

 **Summary:** When Sam shows up to confront Elizabeth of knowing about Jason, a shocking truth comes out leaving both women blindsided and changes everything.

 **Pairings:** Liason, with a side of Samtrick and past! Jasam

 **Situation:** Nicolas told Jason the truth, but because he didn't like Jason Morgan and was in denial, he didn't believe him. Then he took Elizabeth home and started to remember, and realized that if he admitted he was Jason he couldn't be with Elizabeth who he was already half in love with. He remembered all that kept them apart, and saw this as a chance to finally get it right.

 **I want to thank the reviewers, fundays, Guest 3, lulubell76, ilovedana53, allyred123, bjq, Imccarthy, Guest 2, trini12180, kikimoo, arcoiris0502, leasmom, silverbellbaby, retiredlady, notenoughlove, Guest 1!**

 **I want to thank, Of Elfin Blood, kikimoo, notenoughlove, E-Nizzy, NaxieFan48, bjq, fundays, lulubell76, mraymond73, trini12180, for the follows!**

 **And I want to thank, kikimoo, notenoughlove, NaxieFan48, leezee, trini12180, for the favs! Thank you all so much!**

 **Guest reviews:**

Guest 1: Thank you! :D

Guest 2: Thanks!

leasmom: Why thank you. I agree, I never saw Liz lying about that. It was a line I felt she would never have crossed, but writers with agenda, what can you do?

Guest 3: Thank you. I'm glad that you like it. It's okay, I understand the Sam hatred. I have mixed feelings for her at best, and understand others not be able to write her likable at all.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO**

 **"War of Change"**

 _"There's a truth in love and war,_

 _Worlds collide and hearts get broken._

 _I wanna live like I know I'm dying,_

 _Take up my cross, not be afraid."_

 _-War of Change,_ Thousand Foot Krutch

* * *

Telling the truth wasn't uplifting or freeing.

It felt damning. Like walls closing in, and it took everything in Jason to keep standing upright under the weight of the truth. He stood there, barely breathing and he could hear Sam's heart shatter. He did care about Sam, and he hadn't wanted to hurt her. But he couldn't lie to himself, and pretend he was in love with her when he just wasn't. He couldn't be Jason Morgan, the hitman. He didn't want that life. He wanted to one with Elizabeth, the one he always dreamt of, but couldn't have because of choices he had made long before she entered his life. If he had known that Elizabeth would come into his life, he would have never have sold his into Sonny's hands.

He had a choice when Nicolas told him the truth. He had a chance that would likely never present itself again, and he took it. Damn him, he had been selfish, but didn't he now have the right? After ever happiness he had ever sacrificed for those around him that claimed to know him best, after all the time he spent being a dog on a leash more than an actual human being, after all the times he took his love back and left Elizabeth to gather her broken heart...didn't he owe to himself and Elizabeth to finally try?

"You knew?" Elizabeth sounded dazed. Her eyes were unfocused, and stared past him at the distance wall. She sat slumped on the couch like all the energy had fled from her limbs, and her body shook like a leaf.

His first instinct was to gather her in his arms. To soothe away the shock and the pain, but he held himself back. He owed it to both of them to explain himself, no matter the fallout. "Yes, I knew," his voice was thick with emotion. He stared at Elizabeth, "Nicolas... stopped me when I tried to go after you when Carly exposed Ric's lie, and we fought. He tried to tell that you needed space, but I didn't care what he thought. I just wanted to get to you, to make sure you were alright, and...he then told me I couldn't be the one to be there for you."

Finally, Elizabeth raised her eyes and tears streaked down her cheeks. "Because you were Jason," she whispered, softly. "Because you are married to Sam."

"Yes."

Sam looked between them, and swallowed harshly. "No...no, you are just trying to protect her," she whispered out, her voice almost frantic. She couldn't believe Jason would do that to her. After all that they had been through to ignore the fact he was her husband, to move one with his life and prepare to marry Elizabeth was a like he spat upon their marriage vows, and all that they meant. "You would never do that. Jason, tell me you would never do this!"

"I can't," Jason said, with real grief. "I chose her, Sam. Even before I chose to keep my identity a secret, I chose her. She was my first memory, my first thought when I woke up in that hospital bed, and she hasn't been out of my mind or heart since."

Sam shook her head, wordlessly. Her masacara running down her face, and she struggled to breath. She stumbled back, and knocked over a picture on accident. Her eyes glanced down, and it was like a twist to the knife to see it was an old picture of Elizabeth and Jason together. Bitterness boiled up in her gut, and her hands curled into fists at her side. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't be.

"Even before...before my supposed death, Elizabeth has always been a part of me," Jason continued onward, knowing it needed to be said. "I tried to bury it down. To shut down all my thoughts and feelings, and tell myself she was better off with Lucky or Nicolas...but in my heart...I didn't believe that. In my heart...I was hers and she was mine."

"So you are saying our whole marriage...where we were so in love was really you pining after her?" Sam's voice rose to new heights, and she latched onto the anger. Anger was something tangible. Anger was something she could do something with, and it was easier to bury the pain when she was angry. "That all of it was a lie?"

"Of course not," Jason said, quietly. "I did love you, Sam. But...we weren't good for each other. We didn't make each other better. We settled, and we were content. That's not a bad life, but it wasn't what either of us wanted deep down. We just...fell back into because it was familiar, and safe instead of fighting for the people that we really wanted."

Elizabeth sat there, her arms wrapped around herself. She was trying to tell with this truth, but was having trouble wrapping her mind around it. It left her both elated and twisted up in equal measure. The fact that Jason still loved her, even during the times they were apart just like she loved him validated the connection and love between them even more. But the twist in her heart came from him lying. For setting up this life, knowing that any moment it could crashing down and shatter before them. "I don't understand," Elizabeth breathed out. "W-why lie about who you were? Why even keep Nicolas's lie? After all he's done?"

Guilt crossed Jason's face, and he bowed his head. "I loved you, Elizabeth. We had gotten close during my time here as Jake Doe, before Ric came back. When Nicolas told me the truth, I didn't want to believe it. So I told myself that he wanted you for himself, and went to find you. Then when I took you home, and was helping you wipe your make up off...I remember the time when you were upset and came to after a Deception photoshoot. I remember gently wiping your make up off like I was doing right then, and I just thought you were so beautiful," Jason told her, wanting to reach out to her. To take her hands in his like he had done so many times, and reassure the doubt that she was feeling. "God, Elizabeth, I have loved you for years. I...I wanted that chance with you. It was selfish to keep the truth hidden, but I didn't see any other way."

"You didn't?" Elizabeth asked. "You didn't think that telling everyone that you were you meant you couldn't be with me? We would have suffer through it, Jason. We could have."

"Could we?" Jason questioned. "Every time we got close to happiness, Elizabeth. It was taken from us. From me not realizing that I made you feel abandoned, and you walked away. From me holding the night with Zander against you, when you were going through so much and was trying to keep it together. From you chosing Lucky out of obligation and to not hurt Sam and I when you thought we were growing close again. Time and time again, we have tried to take the high road. To do the right thing, and protect others. When was the last time you actually put yourself first, Elizabeth? Tell me?" He knelt down so he was on eye level with her, and gave into the impluse to hold her hands.

Elizabeth bit her lower lip, and staring down at their intertwined fingers. She mumbled something so softly that he told her, "Speak up, Elizabeth."

Her eyes lifted to meet his head on. Her expression was so heartbreaking, and her eyes were filled with a love and longing she couldn't hide. "When...when I chose to be with you," she whispered out, her voice filled with so much and so much love that it quaked.

"We've lost so much time," Jason croaked out. "We've spent so much time making others happy that we forgot ourselves, and when I started to remember...it just cemented my decision. Every time we try, something or someone tried to come between us for one reason or another. I didn't want that to happen again, Elizabeth. I wanted a chance, a real chance to be with you. Jake Doe was the clean slate that I needed. I'm sorry that I've hurt you. I'm sorry that I've hurt both of you."

"Well, if this isn't just freaking perfect," Sam snarled, bitterly. "You're sorry, and that's supposed to make everything better is it? The fact that you threw everything and everyone in your life away? And for what? A woman who is going to walk away from you the second things get too tough?"

Jason sighed, releasing Elizabeth's hands and rose to face Sam. "I'm not apologizing for choosing to be with Elizabeth, Sam. I was apologizing that I hurt you," Jason corrected, his voice not loud, but it held an edge of warning to it. "And Elizabeth didn't walk away from me, Sam. I pushed her away. She was ready and willing to be in my life. It was me who couldn't handle it, not her."

Sam blanched at him defending Elizabeth, and Jason took that time to press onward. "You were happy with Patrick, Sam. You were more alive and fierce like the woman that came to Port Charles, except instead of conning or swindling...you actually found the home that you were always searching for. You didn't twist yourself or bend yourself to fit Patrick's life. Being with him was natural as breathing for you, and that's something you never had with me," Jason stated, trying to get her to understand that she had something worth fighting for with Patrick. Trying to her to see past this hurt he had inflicted on her, and past what they had all those years ago to see that she had a great future ahead of her. It was just not with him.

Sam stood there, frozen. Her expression twisted, and her hands knotted into her jacket. She looked like a skittish animal prepared to bolt or attack.

"We fell apart, Sam. Time and time again, and no, it wasn't all Elizabeth's fault. There were cracks in our relationship even before Elizabeth and I spent the night together, and there were more even when she wasn't anywhere near our relationship. Remember Brenda? You were so insecure in our relationship that you thought I had feelings for her. No woman should have to feel like, but neither of us deal with being lonely well," Jason , being brutally honest. He looked down, and gave a loud sigh. "And then when I couldn't see past Franco to be there for you...it was just a smokescreen. I felt guilty for trying to make a family, when I abandoned the one I already had."

"Then why didn't you be with Elizabeth? Everyone knows she threw herself at you after changing Danny's DNA test," Sam spat out.

Elizabeth stiffened, her eyes darkened with thoughts of that. Where Jason had put her and Sam in a constant push and pull. Not ready walk away from Sam, but gave Elizabeth hope that it might be their time. In her desperation, she had made a mistake in changing Danny's DNA test. Part of it was because she knew Tea loved that little boy, and she would be causing a mother the same pain that she felt. The other part was selfish, and didn't want Sam to be happy because after all she did, why did she get to be happy and Elizabeth not? It took seeing Jason's pain over it to realize that she had been no better than Sam when Sam watched Jake get kidnapped. She had told the truth, and went to Sam to bury the hatchet because she had finally understood in part what motivated Sam all those years ago. She thought it would bring closure on her feelings for Jason, to help mend the rift between the two. It hadn't.

"One day, Sam. One day she lied about that. For a woman who never came clean about watching Jake get kidnapped, and someone else had to call her out on that, you don't get room to judge anyone," Jason told her, flatly. "We've all made mistakes, Sam. We've all done things because we couldn't live without someone, or we did it because it is what we thought was best. None of us sit on a high horse, and we shouldn't pretend to now.

"As for why I pushed Elizabeth away...I felt guilty," Jason admitted, giving Elizabeth a quick apologetic look. "I felt guilty that I had put you in the position to have your baby taken from you like that. I wanted to fix that mistake and find common ground with you again so we could get the closure we needed for both of us to move on."

Sam's face paled. "So...so you coming back to the penthouse...it wasn't us reconciling? It was...just to patch things up before moving on your merry way?" Her voice was faint, like she could believe all that he had just said. Yet somewhere inside of her, it had made a sickening sort of sense. Jason always had this unwavering sense of obligation and right and wrong. He wouldn't want to start anything with Elizabeth when things were still a mess in their marriage. He would want to mend fences, and make sure she was okay even if he was going to leave because that's the type of person he was. Sam's heart dug it's heels into denial because it was the only thing that was keeping her from breaking down right now, and she would be damned before she broke down into a sobbing mess in front the two of them. "No, Jason, you don't mean that. You don't mean...that..."

It was the look that Elizabeth sent her that was the straw that broke the camel's back. It was the same look that Sam had on her face when Elizabeth came to Jason after having a breakdown about Jake. The sympathy and understand that she just couldn't handle, and just like Elizabeth, Sam fled the house. Except Sam couldn't trust herself to say anything kind, or manage to form words at all. All she wanted was to be out of that house, and as far as she could be away from them as physically possible.

Silence once agains descended upon the house hold as Jason and Elizabeth were left alone. Jason could hear his heartbeat pounding against his ear drum the longer that Elizabeth stayed there silent and immobile. He startled when she suddenly stood on her unsteady feet, and he reached out for her as she swayed like she was going to collapse.

Elizabeth pulled herself out of his reach, and then looked at him sadly. "Jason, I...no more tonight, please," she begged, tearfully. "This is...this is a lot that you've just dumped into my lap and into Sam's lap...it's late and I just...I just want to go to bed. Go to sleep, and face this all tomorrow. Please."

He wanted to press it. He wanted to know if he still had a place here in her life, or if he had lost her. But he looked into her eyes, and he could no deny her the plea for time. "Alright. Tomorrow," he whispered out.

Elizabeth stared at him, and hated that she was causing him to hurt. Her lips trembled, and she wanted nothing more than bridge this gap between him. To take his hand, and bring him up to their bed, and wake up to him tomorrow morning. But she needed time to digest this, to think over all that he had said, and be pretend to face it in the morning. She couldn't do that with him lying next to her, clouding her thoughts and her judgment. "You remember..."

"Where the linens are?" Jason smiled, ruefully. "Yeah. I remember. You go onto bed. I can get them."

Elizabeth looked at him in surprise.

"I planned on sleeping on the couch, Elizabeth," he told her. It was a decision that he had already made up in his mind when the truth slipped out of his mouth. "I don't...don't want to go up there with you, and you think that I'm doing to try and manipulate you. I don't want to do that to you."

Her heart softened against her will. "Thank you," she whispered, softly. She gave him one last look before she turned, and made her way up the stairs.

Jason gaze lingered on the stairwell long after Elizabeth had disappeared up it, and he felt so tired. He felt the weight of his past catching up to him, and the noose grew tighter.

* * *

END OF CHATPER! Sorry, for any misspelling. My current computer only has Wordpad, so I have to try and read over myself and catch mistakes myself, and I'm horrible at that. I'll edit it if I see any.

Thank you all for the phenomenal response to this story. I'm glad that you all love it.

RRs are appreciated! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital, ABC owns it and it's characters. This is purely for amusement, and to hone my writing skills. Nothing more, nothing less. Thank you so much.

 **Summary:** When Sam shows up to confront Elizabeth of knowing about Jason, a shocking truth comes out leaving both women blindsided and changes everything.

 **Pairings:** Liason, with a side of Samtrick and past! Jasam

 **Situation:** Nicolas told Jason the truth, but because he didn't like Jason Morgan and was in denial, he didn't believe him. Then he took Elizabeth home and started to remember, and realized that if he admitted he was Jason he couldn't be with Elizabeth who he was already half in love with. He remembered all that kept them apart, and saw this as a chance to finally get it right.

 **I want to thank the reviewers, butterflyliz, knightmare627, Guest, Mona, pianogirl1, Guest 2, arcoiris0502, C, leasmom, Pamela, silverbellbaby, trini12180, allyred123, kikimoo, Guest, ilovedana53, imccarthy, leeleelayla5, Guest, notenoughlove, DallasMarieJensen!**

 **I want to thank, Of Elfin Blood, kikimoo, notenoughlove, E-Nizzy, NaxieFan48, bjq, fundays, lulubell76, mraymond73, trini12180, BettyBoop48748, arcoiris0502, sherimi, GeneralHospitalFan101, SoapOperaEmpress, aphass, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, butterflyliz, for the follows!**

 **And I want to thank, kikimoo, notenoughlove, NaxieFan48, leezee, trini12180, BettyBoop48748, arcoiris0502 for the favs! Thank you all so much!**

 **Guest reviews:**

Guest (for Chapter 1): Thank you so much for your review. I'm glad that you love this story. I totally agree with everything you typed. I wish they had done this on the show, and I, too, was angered how they made Jason so mad at Elizabeth, but with his past with Sam just slipped underneath a rug. They are forcing a pairing on the majority of fans. Even ratings show that Jasam days have lower viewers, and Rebecca Herbst days have the most. Mhmm Billy had more chem with Becky for sure. He had a friend buddy vibe with Kelly that doesn't translate to romance. They should let Liason be happy, and Sam be happy with someone else if they were smart. So far I have little hope for the show. At least, Franco and Liz are entertaining. Jasam can not say the same.

Guest 1: Thank you!

Mona: Thank you so much. Yes, many fans were angry. Even Rebecca Herbst herself said that she felt this was out of character for Elizabeth, but she had a job and had to do her best. Aw, you're making me blush. Glad that you love it.

Leasmom: Thank you. I loved reading your review. The Jason on the screen right now is shut down, and cold. He hasn't even said "I love you" to Sam at all, and their interaciton are lacking for the supercouple they are supposedly. I hope GH fixes this fast, or I see GH getting canceled. You are right, Sam always treated Jason like he was something to be won even thought I believe she does genuinely loves him. If she could only see that Patrick made her happy, and made her better while with Jason, she reverts back to ride and die gal who is little more than glorified sidekick if even that.

C: Thank you! :D

Pamela: I would have loved to see this on screen, too. Alas, writers be stupid. Glad that you are enjoying it.

Guest: Thank you! I like this Jason better, too. ;D

 **NOTE:** Originally this was going to be a three shot, but I feel I can't fit everything into three chapters so I will continue to write. It's going to be four chapters now.

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

 **"Always"**

 _"It always you falling for me,_

 _Now there's always time calling for me,_

 _I'm the light blinking at the end of the road,_

 _Blink back to let me know."_

- **Always** , _Panic! At the Disco_

* * *

Jason had already folded up the blankets, and settled them on the end of the couch. He sat there and let his eyes look all around at the house. This house that Elizabeth and he had wanted to start their family in, and he swallowed thickly. If he hadn't been such a fool, he would have realized back then there was no such thing as waiting for the right time to be together. There was no such as the right time. It was about _making_ the time. He only hoped that Elizabeth could forgive him about this lie, because it was not that far from what Ric had done to her. He looked down at the floor, and noticed something.

He rose to his feet and walked over. He knelt down and picked up the picture of him and Elizabeth that Sam had knocked over that night. It must have felt like salt in a wound that would never heal. He knew Sam had always felt like second best in Elizabeth's shadow, and he never meant for her to feel that way. So he went out of his way to reassure, and Sam had believed it to the point that she apparently thought Elizabeth had meant nothing to him. He had made so many mistakes in his past. How had he been able to look at himself in the mirror each morning and tell himself that it was all okay?

"I want to be angry."

Jason turned, and rose with the picture in hand to see Elizabeth standing there at the base of the stairs with her arms crossed over her chest. She wasn't looking at him, but past him at something that he couldn't see.

"I want to be so angry with you," she repeated, and her eyes flickered to his. A rueful and sad smile twisted upon those lips, and her eyes still puffy from where she had cried herself to sleep. "I kept replaying everything since the Nurses Ball over and over in my head. Every moment we shared, all of it, and want to be angry because I don't want the lie you kept for so long to color them. Then...I sat there and thought about the reasons you gave for keeping your secret."

Jason stood there, without a word. He had a white knuckle grip on the picture, and his breath was catch his throat as his eyes traced the sadness on her face. The sadness that he had put there, and it made bile rush up the back of his throat. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. To make her doubt them for a single second was a second too long, and he finally found his voice, "Elizabeth, I know that you...you are hurt that I kept this from you. That I should have made this decision with you, not for you. But I meant what I said. Every time we tried to be happy, I had Carly and Sonny telling me how you weren't meant for our world. You had Audrey and the Spencers whispering doubts to you. I figured...as long as Jason Morgan stayed dead, then as Jake Doe, we could have had a chance."

"Then Carly found out," Elizabeth said, softly.

"Yes. I didn't...I didn't want to hurt her by telling her I already knew, and didn't care. I tried to spare everyone's feelings, but when she told everyone at the wedding..." Jason sighed, heavily. He set the picture back down in it's rightful spot, and turned to face her fully. "I should have came clean there, but I say how crushed you were. I could see that you felt like any future you had with me had vanished up in smoke when you found out I was Jason and still married to Sam."

"How was that going to work by the way?" Elizabeth asked, suddenly. "You marry me while being still married to Sam?"

Jason sighed. "Well, Jason Morgan was legally declared dead, and I had Diane look into declaring me a new person. I didn't have my memories. Not all of them, and certain ones it felt like...looking into someone's else life. Not mine."

Elizabeth gnawed on her lower lip. "Were...were the memories of us like that?" She asked, worriedly. She didn't want him to feel obligated to memories that he didn't feel connected to. She had never wanted to trap Jason. She knew how much choice, and freedom meant to Jason. She never wanted to be another person to tie him down unless he wanted to be tied together with her.

"No!" Jason shot her a startled look. "No, Elizabeth...my memories of you. Of being with you, and our boys are the only ones that made sense to me. They were the only ones that felt like _mine_." He closed his eyes, and drew in a sharp breath. "Elizabeth, the only reason I didn't tell you I knew who I was since the beginning when Carly said something at the wedding was because I didn't...I didn't know how. You were already feeling so insecure that I would go back to Sam, and I wanted to reassure you. But if I told you I lied..."

"You thought I would belive that all this love, all the time we spent together was a lie," Elizabeth finished for him, her lips twisted downward. She was holding back a wave of fresh tears, and stared at the man that she loved.

"Yes," Jason said. That was the heart of the problem. He wanted so badly to be with this incredible woman, enchanted by her when she had been there when he had first woken up and how she had taken him. How she had stood beside him through everything, and then he found out that he was Jason. He remembered piece by piece of his life with her, only fueling his feelings for her. He didn't want to jeoparadize that, but his lie did just that.

Elizabeth stood there for a long moment. Her fingers tapped along her arms, and she then bowed her head. She looked down at her feet, and spoke softly, "How can I be angry with you when I can't say that if it had been me that Nicolas had confronted with the truth that I wouldn't have done the same?" She lifted her head to give him a watery smile.

"You wouldn't have," Jason said, softly.

"I don't know that, Jason," she shook her head, her expression so tired and exhaustion in every movement as she walked into the living room. "After...after you left me at the courthouse with my heart completely shattered, it changed me Jason. After I admitted all that I felt for you, all this love that I had shoved down through the years and pretended it didn't exist while I was married to Ric or Lucky...after I admitted it," Elizabeth said, running shaky fingers through her hair. "I knew I couldn't take it back. I couldn't feel what I felt for you with anyone else. But I tried! Or that's what I told myself as I self-destructed every relationship since ours, over and over again."

"You weren't the only one who made mistakes in all of those relationships, Elizabeth," Jason told her, pointedly. He hated how she beated herself up for her mistakes wose than anyone else he had ever known because she held herself to a diferent standard than those around her.

"True, but I didn't help any," Elizabeth laughed, slightly bitter. "You...Jake Doe was the first person I had met since...well, _you_ that I didn't want to screw up my relationship with. That scared me more than you know, and that's why I threw myself into this relationship with Ric because I didn't want to ruin it. I told myself that being your friend would have to be enough."

"Friendship...it's never been enough for us," Jason said, softly. He dared take a step closer, and his heart skipped a beat when she didn't pull away from him. "It's always been the great pull and push dance. One of us gives, the other doesn't. The other gives, and one of us doesn't. We always got our signals wrong, and allowed others to put all these doubts between us. That's why I lied, Elizabeth. Because I didn't want to go through the pain of losing you again."

"I know. I know that's why. And that's why I can't stay mad at you for it, or even pretend to be," Elizabeth said, her blue eyes ran across the face that she had come to love. She had loved Jake Doe, and given him her entire heart. The only other person that had been able to do that was Jason, and when Carly had announced his identity at the wedding, everything had just clicked. The reason that she felt so drawn to help Jake Doe, how easy it was to let him into her house, and how easy it had been to fall in love with him. "If Nicolas had came to me with the truth after the disaster that was Ric had struck, I can't say I wouldn't have kept that secret. I can't say I wouldn't have kept the truth from you if I thought we could have a chance at being happy after so many times that it had been taken away from us. I can't say I wouldn't have been selfish so we could finally have our chance."

Jason stared at her, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Then...what does that mean for us, Elizabeth?" He had to ask.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, and grasped his hands with hers. Her fingers squeezed his fingers tightly. "Let's be selfish together," she whispered out. She had thought long and hard about the truth that Jason had laid out last night, and while she knew things weren't completely resolved, if he truly wanted to try than she could do no less. "I know that there are still things that we have to work and talk about, but I am willing if you are. Let's do this. All or nothing, this time."

"You mean that?" Jason asked, the hope that he had tried not to let swell up inside of nearly bursting out of his chest.

"Yes," Elizabeth allowed a beautiful smile to spread across her face. "We have wasted so much time, Jason. I don't want to waste another second of it. I know things aren't perfect, but if perfect means not being with you...I don't want to be perfect. I just want you. Do...you still feel the same?"

"Always."

* * *

 **ONE WEEK LATER**

Sam didn't know what she was doing here on Elizabeth's doorstep. Perhaps, she was looking for a confrontation. Perhaps she was looking for Jason to suddenly change his mind. Perhaps, she was glutton for punishment, but she did enjoy the shock that crossed Elizabeth's face when the other woman pulled open the door. "Hello," Sam stated, her tone more sure than she felt.

"Hi, Sam," Elizabeth replied, looking confused.

"Monica was hung up at the hospital. I told Monica that I could swing by and grab Jake for her so the boys could still go to see her today," Sam explained, with a taunt smile on her lips. Danny stood off to her side, exploring the porch with big wide eyes. He always seemed enthralled by the flowers at Elizabeth's place. "Is that going to be a problem?" Sam challenged, lightly.

"No. No, that's not a problem at all," Elizabeth said, easily. If Sam thought that she was going to pitch a fit about the boys spending time together, Elizabeth was happy to disappointed her.

Sam's ire faltered for a split second, and she stared at Elizabeth with genuine shock. "You...you would trust me? With Jake? After everything?" Sam stared at Elizabeth, startled.

"Sam, we talked about this ages ago," Elizabeth . "Back when you were with Lucky. I know why you did those things, and I knew that you had already started to change. If I hold your past against you now after nine years, that is just petty and ridiculous. I know that there isn't anything you wouldn't do to protect Danny and Jake if it came down to it. I hope eventually that'll you extend me that same courtesy."

Sam felt her cheeks heat with shame. It was true. Elizabeth and her had buried the hatchet time and time again. Once back into 2008, when Elizabeth told her that she made Lucky happy and offered to let them take the boys to the carnival. It was a far cry from where they had been only months before. Then in 2010, when Elizabeth had spiralled into a dark depression and feared Nicolas wouldn't believe her when she found out Helena had changed Aiden's paternity test results. Elizabeth did change Danny's DNA test, but Jason was right. Elizabeth had confessed after a day because she was too guilty to hold it in any longer.

How had Sam even thought Elizabeth could hide Jason's identity without someone seeing the horrible guilt that she would put herself through every moment? She blinked, her brows furrowed. Has she had that against Elizabeth? Danny's DNA test? Is that part of the reasons she lashed out like she had? Even after that, Elizabeth had been apologectic and had even had been great during Danny's cancer scare. It made Sam ashamed of herself that she had been so easily forgiven for her past when Elizabeth hadn't, and Sam had even been one of the ones to hold the past against Elizabeth still. "I..." Sam opened her mouth, trying to find the words. It should have been easy because she knew Elizabeth was a good mother, but there was a part of her that couldn't say it. A part of her that wasn't ready to admit defeat, and she clamped her mouth shut.

There was a sad understanding that flashed in Elizabeth's gaze, but she did not press. "Jason is in the kitchen. He wants to talk to you. I can keep an eye on the boys," she offered, with a half smile. Jake squeezed out past her, causing both women to smile as he enthusitically started informing Danny of his week.

Sam managed to tear her eyes away from the children, and was admittedly shocked that Jason wanted to talk to her, but it gave her hope. "Sure. That sounds fine," she said, with a small nod. She stepped past Elizabeth and into the house and she felt her stomach twist violently. The sight of this house made her want to be sick, and the queasy feeling of uncertainty crawled along her skin. She stepped into the kitchen to find Jason drying dishes, the scene was so domestic and took her by surprise. But only for a moment. "Jason," she said, her voice raised slightly to get his attention over the running faucet.

Jason's shoulders tensed. He turned off the water and he sat down the glass he had been wiping clean before he turned around to face her. His face was carefully blank, but he wasn't cold when he spoke. "Sam," he inclined his head, politely.

The careful politeness only made it worse. Sam fought against the intially burst of anger. Anger hadn't gotten her anywhere. In fact, it was her hasty anger that had led to Jason pulling the rug right out from underneath her and coloring their past in a way that she had never looked at it before. "You wanted to speak to me?" Sam asked, her tone far too calm for the circumstance. She wanted to scream at him, to beat on his chest demanding how he could do this to her.

"Yes." He nodded his head, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Firstly, I want to thank you."

"Thank me?" Sam frowned.

"For not telling everyone about...about me knowing who I was since the Nurses Ball," Jason told her, with a faint smile. "It's my lie to come clean about, and I appreciate that you haven't gone to anyone about it."

"I didn't do it for you. I was overwhelmed with this lie, Jason," Sam told him, her voice brittle. Her eyes glared daggers up at him, and her lips were pulled downward in a frown. "I didn't know what to think this past week let alone tell anyone about it. Besides, as you just said. It's your lie to tell. You should have to face everyone when telling them. I'm not softening the blow for you."

Jason accepted that. "I deserve that, but still...thank you for giving me the chance to be the one to let everyone know," he replied, evenly to her anger. "Secondly... I am truly sorry that you are hurt. This situation...it's not one any of us expected to be in, but we're in it. All have to do what we think is best, and we might not all agree on what that is, but at the end of the day...we have to make sure that our disagreements don't hurt our children. They come first and foremost."

"If you really believed that then you would be at home with me and Danny," Sam stated, firmly. "You know Danny? The son you were content to abandon to play house with Elizabeth?"

"Sam...I don't have to be a husband to you in order to be a father to Danny. The two are not mutually exclusive," Jason said, his brows pinched. He could feel a throb ache up his neck, a telltale sign that he was going to have a headache. "And in case you forgot...Jake is my son, too. And I abandoned him once, too. I left him with only his mom to take care of him at the time. Danny I knew had you _and_ had Patrick."

Sam's expression pinched with pain. She had come far from the woman that watched Jake getting kidnapped, and hiring gunmen, but it didn't lessen the remnants of hurt when she saw the little boy. It was a reminder of how easily she and Jason had fallen apart. When he was gone, she could pretend that time never happened as horrible as that was. Now, the fact that Elizabeth would be always tied to Jason's life was out there for everyone to see. There was no hiding behind a lie or closed door. "Why her, Jason? Just tell me why," she pleaded, wanting to understand it so she could somehow resolve it.

"It's always been her, Sam," Jason said, regretfully. "Elizabeth and I...we were always in love with each other. It didn't matter who came and went out of our lives, the second we'd see each other there was still that love painfully between us. If we had been honest with how we felt from the start..." He just shook his head, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Look, Sam, I don't regret the life we made. It was a good one, and I did love you."

"Just not as much as you love her," Sam said, finding that to be a bitter pill to swallow.

Jason couldn't lie. "Yes. I'm not doing this...to hurt you, or punish you. But Sam, neither of deserve to be with each other out of obligation. You deserve someone who can love with his entire heart, not just a piece of it. And I deserve a chance to be happy with Elizabeth," he told her, simply.

"But...we were happy, Jason," Sam told him.

"We were content, Sam," Jason shook his head. "They aren't the same thing, and you know it. You know, Sam...I'm beginning to think that me being your husba I'm familiar. I'm safe. If you came back to me then you wouldn't have to try with Patrick, and therefore not ruin what you have with him. If you don't try, you can't take the chance of getting hurt."

Sam ran her fingers through her head, the childish urge to dig her fingers in and scream welled up inside of her. "What if I really don't want, Patrick? What if this isn't some smoke screen that you are trying to make it out to be? What if all of this really about you? What if I want to be you with because I still truly do love you?"

"Maybe, but it's not what I want," Jason told her. His voice was so matter-of-fact and calm, but it felt like a punch to the gut for Sam. "Sam, what do you want really? Me to be with you out of obligation, but still in love with Elizabeth or to be with you because I truly wish to be with you?"

Sam jaw clenched, and she blinked back tears. "I have to go, Jason."

"Sam..." Jason started, but she turned on her heel and marched out of that house. That horrible house.

She slammed both the doors behind her, startling Elizabeth who stood on the porch keeping an eye on the boys who stood by the car ready to go. She clenched and unclenched her hands, wishing she had some way to blame the other woman. Nothing came to mind. No way to use her as a scapegoat, because it was easier to do that than to face the fact Jason really didn't want to be with her.

"Sam, I'm sorry..." Elizabeth began.

Sam couldn't hear it. Not after what Jason had told her. "For what, Elizabeth? You won. You should be happy," she said, bitterly.

Elizabeth's lips turned downward in a frown. "Sam, Jason isn't some prize to be won. He never was. I'm sorry you are hurting, but if you can't see past the fact that you aren't the only one who is having to deal with hurt than perhaps I shouldn't let Jake go with you. He is having to deal with a lot from his time spent at Helena's. He doesn't need someone saying something that is just going to add to his stress," she stated, firmly. "If you can't keep your thoughts to yourself, then maybe I should just keep him home today."

"You know what, Elizabeth? I think that's a good idea. I'm not in a good place, and I can't trust myself to say something I won't regret later so it's best if Danny and Jake stayed apart for the foreseeable future," Sam stated, callously. She walked up to the boys who had been standing on the driveway, and took Danny's hand. "Danny, Jake is going to stay home today isn't going to nana's."

"What? Why?" Jake demanded. His eyes flickered up to his mother who came over and squeezed his shoulder slightly.

"Today's just not a good day, buddy," Elizabeth said, gently.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling so well. So I think I'm going to take Danny, and just hang out at the penthouse. I'm sorry, little man," Sam said, managing to smile genuinely at Jake. She really didn't want to hurt the younger boy, and Elizabeth was right. If she said something that added to Jake's stress, she would feel horrible about it.

Jake expression went flat. All the joy and life striped from it. "Bye, Danny," he said, monotone.

Sam felt a knot in her throat, and she was tempted to take it back. To let him come with her, but she just couldn't. "Maybe tomorrow we can go to the movies," she smiled, and the little boy didn't say anything just shuffled his feet. With a light sigh, she rubbed Danny's back. "Say bye Danny."

"Bye, Jake. Bye, 'Lizabet," Danny fumbled over Elizabeth's name.

Elizabeth smiled. "Bye, Danny." Her smile dimmed when her blue eyes fell upon Sam. "Good-bye, Sam."

Sam nodded, and got Danny buckled into the car as quickly as she could. She climbed into the vehicle without a second thought, and drove off as fast as she could without being unsafe.

Elizabeth watched the car disappear out of sight, and gave Jake a half hug. "Hey, little man, what do you think we should do? With Cameron and Aiden at soccer practice, do you want to go join them? We can get snack and watch."

"No...I'm not feeling so good today," Jake shook his head.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Elizabeth asked, even though she already knew.

Jake didn't know if he should saw, but he looked up at his mom and sighed. "Why does Sam hate me?" He finally asked.

Elizabeth felt her heart clench and she knelt down. "It's not you that she hates, buddy," she whispered, her hands on his shoulders. "She is going through a lot right now, and it going through a lot of hurt. Sometimes, when people are hurt they have to lash out in order to heal. That's what Sam is doing. She isn't doing it to be mean, or because she hates anyone."

Jake pursed his lips, and bowed his head. There was a thoughtful expression on his face. "Do you...think she'll feel better soon? So I can see Danny again?" Jake asked, hopefully. He loved his little brother as much as he loved Aiden and Cameron, but he didn't get to see him as often. Only when he went down to grandma Monica's.

"I hope so," Elizabeth told him, quietly. "But until then...why don't we go find a movie to watch and make some banana splits to spoil our dinners? What do you say?"

A smile crept onto Jake's face. "Can we put brownies in them?"

"Yes, we can put brownies in them," Elizabeth smiled, brightly.

"Alright! Dad, we're making banana splits with brownies in them!" Jake shouted, happily over Elizabeth's shoulder to see Jason there.

Elizabeth turned, and saw the closed off expression on Jason's face. Her heart went out to him because she knew he hoped to soothe things over with Sam. To somehow make it all okay. She wanted to tell him sometimes you couldn't make things better. Sometimes things just were meant to fall apart, but that was something he had to learn for himself.

"That sounds amazing," Jason said, smiling. He could always muster up a smile for his son.

Elizabeth stood, ruffling Jake's hair. "Jake, why don't you go inside and get the bowls and everything ready for us to make the banana splits?"

"With brownies," Jake reminded her.

"With brownies," Elizabeth chuckled. Jake smiled, and ducked between them to rush into the house. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself, and stared after her son fondly.

"He gets that from you," Jason accused, with a smile.

"He gets what?" Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.

"His love for brownies," Jason told her.

"I do recall that you love my brownies," Elizabeth said, mocking offended. "And I recall that it was not be that had four of them last night."

"You're right. We're both guilty for our brownie love. Jake was doomed to have a chocolate addiction before he was born with us as parents," Jason joked, but there was a sad edge to his smile.

Elizabeth sighed, reaching up to fix the collar of his shirt gently. "How are you feeling?" She asked, gently. She could see that Sam storming out, and opting to leave Jake behind had upset him.

"I'm not sure. Sad that I put Sam in this position. Disappointed that she can't see beyond herself. Angry that my lie is now hurting my sons. I just wished that we were able to move past all this and just get on with our lives," Jason commented, shaking his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose to ease up the throbbing pain that consumed his head. It was his fault that he had a headache, and he had a feeling it was the first of many to come.

She hummed thoughtfully underneath her breath. There had been a question lingering in the back of her mind, even after the conversation they had earlier this week. It was a question that needed to be asked. "Do you regret it? Leaving your old life back for this?" Elizabeth had to ask.

Jason's head snapped towards her, and his eyes widened. "No! Absolutely not! I have no regrets in choosing to be with you," Jason told her, bringing her hand to his lips. He squeezed her fingers to comfort her, and then pulled her close. Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his chin on the top of her head. "I just regret how I went about all this. If I hadn't lied, maybe Sam wouldn't be as hurt as she is right now. But I can't regret choosing you. I can't regret choosing us."

Elizabeth sighed, relaxing into his arms. "I love you."

"I love you more," Jason said, pressing a kiss to her temple. They stood there, holding each other until Jake came back out and told them to hurry up because brownies banana splits awaited them. The two parents laughed, and followed their son into their home.

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER!**

 **Is Sam a villian? Not right now, no. I do believe Sam has changed, but I think that she is on a slippery slope. That if she doesn't accept the reality of the situation, that she could backtrack, and go back to her old ways if she isn't careful. But I am writing her in a way that I find is believable. She is hurt, she isn't sure how to handle the truth, and she is aware of her feelings enought to know she might say something regrettable in front of Jake. She wasn't trying to be mean, but was trying to spare him because she doesn't want to make the situation worse than it already is.**

 **Originally this was supposed to be three, but now it is four chapters. Next chapter is everyone's reaction to Jason's lie, and the fallout from that. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Read and Review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital, ABC owns it and it's characters. This is purely for amusement, and to hone my writing skills. Nothing more, nothing less. Thank you so much.

 **Summary:** When Sam shows up to confront Elizabeth of knowing about Jason, a shocking truth comes out leaving both women blindsided and changes everything.

 **Pairings:** Liason, with a side of Samtrick and past! Jasam

 **Situation:** Nicolas told Jason the truth, but because he didn't like Jason Morgan and was in denial, he didn't believe him. Then he took Elizabeth home and started to remember, and realized that if he admitted he was Jason he couldn't be with Elizabeth who he was already half in love with. He remembered all that kept them apart, and saw this as a chance to finally get it right.

 **I want to thank the reviewers, butterflyliz, trini12180, notenoughlove, arcoiris0502, kckepen2, kikimoo, abstractartist, bjq, sweetgirl23, Mona, ilovedana53, pianogirl1, allyred123, Pamela, lrobinson01!**

 **I want to thank, Of Elfin Blood, kikimoo, notenoughlove, E-Nizzy, NaxieFan48, bjq, fundays, lulubell76, mraymond73, trini12180, BettyBoop48748, arcoiris0502, sherimi, GeneralHospitalFan101, SoapOperaEmpress, aphass, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, butterflyliz, lrobinson01 for the follows!**

 **And I want to thank, kikimoo, notenoughlove, NaxieFan48, leezee, trini12180, BettyBoop48748, arcoiris0502, Livelaugh888 for the favs! Thank you all so much!**

 **Guest reviews:**

 **Mona: Thank you so much for taking the time to review, no matter how big or small. Ah, crazy days. I know those all too well, hope that everything turned out well. :D**

 **Pamela: Thank you! Here is the update! :D**

 **NOTE: I would like to point out while NotEnoughLove's story is based on the similiar premise where Jason found out the truth from Nicolas and he chose to keep the secret, it is NOT the same story. Though I have given NotEnoughLove permission to use dialogue or scenes from this story if they chose to, don't expect it to be the same specific storyline. Thank you.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 **"It Ends Tonight"**

 _ **"**_ _The walls start breathing_

 _My mind's un-weaving_

 _Maybe it's best you leave me alone_

 _A weight is lifted_

 _On this evening_

 _I give the final blow."_

-"It Ends Tonight", by All-American Rejects

* * *

There was one person that was at the top of Jason's list to speak to.

Sonny Corinthos.

His life literally began only a couple of months before he came at the crossroad, to be Sonny's enforcer or to be a Quartermaine. The way the Quartermaines acted it was little wonder why that he had ran head first into Sonny's employment without ever considering to think how it would affect his life later on. It was only later when he walked away from Elizabeth that he realized how much that choice had cost him. It was fitting that his new life would end with resolving his past with Sonny, and he nodded to Max as he stepped into the office.

Sonny was setting behind his desk, and looked up. "Jason," he started to rise out of his seat, but Jason waved his hand for the older man to sit back down. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I wasn't expecting to be here. Well, not this soon," Jason smiled, thinly.

"Why did you lie?" Sonny asked, his voice decpetively quiet. His expression shuttered, and his dark scrutinized Jason in a way that he hadn't look at him in years. It felt like the first time that Jason had ever met Sonny, where the other man saw potiential for a good ally or a deadly enemy.

"At first? I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to accept it," Jason shook his head. "I hated the violent. The thought of it curdled my blood, and made me sick to my stomach. I knew that I could do it. Be violent. Be deadly, but that...that was not I wanted."

"Especially when Elizabeth came into the picture," Sonny stated, his tense posture eased up ever so lightly. Not enough to be considered comfortable, but it gave Jason a measure of comfort. "I can see why. She believed you. She saw something in you when no one else did, even the people who claimed to know you the best. She always knew better than any of us did, much to Carly's chagrin."

Both men shared a smile at the thought of the blond ranting, before Jason continued on with explaination. "After the night...of the Nurses Ball, and I woke up to Elizabeth, all these memories came rushing back. I mean, they did while we..." His cheeks turned red, and he coughed uncomfortably making Sonny's smirk widened. "Anyways, I had memories. Most of them of Elizabeth, but some weren't. But...the ones about Elizabeth made me feel..."

"Feel?" Sonny prodded.

"Feel alive," Jason breathed out. "Like I was alive. Like I hadn't understood what feeling and emotions were until that very moment, and the entire world just suddenly clicked in my head. I just knew that this woman...she was something I couldn't live without. Not again."

Sonny didn't need any further explanation. He could see how Jason saw a future with Elizabeth, a future jeoparadized by his past and the people in his past. He wanted to be mad. To feel betrayed, but none of that came. Instead, he felt guilty. "I...I always kind of knew," Sonny said, running a hand along his jaw. He looked exhausted, as if the truth that Jason had unveiled had brought all his years to his face, and weighed down upon him. "There's was this part of you that wanted Elizabeth. Since the day she picked you up out of the snow, something changed in you. You've fought it. Hell, you both did. Because of each other, or o-other people coming between you. But you always... _gravitated_ back towards each other," he raised his hands, and shoved them together and made a show of entwining his fingers, "like this _magnetic_ pull. I knew...the second you gave into that, then there would be nothing stopping you from being with her."

Jason sighed, his shoulder slumped. "Then you understand why...why I wanted to keep my identity a secret. It was selfish, but I can't regret it. If your past threatened your life with Carly what would have done, Sonny?" He asked, his blue eyes flickered up to the other man.

"Anything," Sonny said, without hesitation. "Everything."

"Exactly." Jason clasped his hands in front of him, and leaned back in the chair. "I would have done everything for Elizabeth. If I had been a smarter man I would have done it years ago, but I let people get between us. So did she. We always chose each other when we couldn't be together, or when we couldn't see a way to be together. We are so blind, and I was tired of being untrue to myself. So I kept the secret so Elizabeth and I could have a real chance to be together. Once we were settled, I was going to tell everyone the truth."

"But Carly found and told everyone when you and Elizabeth were almost down the altar," Sonny said, quietly.

"Yeah," Jason nodded. Part of him wished he had never went to go find Carly because then he might have been able to be married to Elizabeth like he wanted to. It was an impulse he would never again give into. Carly had been able to survive these last few years without him coming to her rescue, she could continue to do so.

"Yeah," Sonny grinned, at the thought of Carly running around like a wrecking ball. She was trouble, but God did he love that woman. "She tends to do that."

"I kind of figured out even before I got my memories back," Jason chuckled. The two men laughed lightly, and then Jason looked away when silence feel between them.

Sonny let out a deep breath, and allowed all the tension to fall out of him. "I suppose none of made things easier for you, even from the beginning. I was selfish back then. I know that I'm still selfish, but I like to think I've...grown since then," Sonny stated, with a rueful smile. He stood up out of his chair, and took a deep breath. "I'm not going to force you...back into this life that made you have to give up Elizabeth, and your family in the first place, Jason. For a long time...I thought I wouldn't know what to do without as my right hand man, my brother who had my back even when he should have turned away. But I mourned, I survived. We all did."

Jason narrowed his eyes, unsure this was going how he thought it was going to.

"Jason...for years you put your life on hold so we could build all of ours," Sonny told him, with a look of understanding. "And I-I always felt guilty because I felt like I took so much from you. A chance with Elizabeth, a chance to be with both of your sons."

"Sonny," Jason said.

"No, no, Jason, let me finish. Please?" The latino man was determined to get through all of this, and get out now so he could drown himself in scotch then move on the next day. "Because of your life...the life I gave you, you pushed Elizabeth, Cameron, and Jake away. I could see how much that _killed_ you inside, but then you got back together with Sam so I told myself at least you had someone there for you. Then Danny was born, and you had just found out you were the father then you got killed-well, we thought you did-down at the docks looking into something for me."

"That wasn't your fault, Sonny," Jason shook his head. "I chose this life. I made that concious choice. How did I expect it to end in other way for violent?"

"Better than that," Sonny said, sharply. "You deserved better than that, Jason. You have sacrificed so much so I could go through my life knowing that you had my back, and I didn't have to worry about my family. So...now, it's my turn to have your back."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, blinking.

"It means while I'm hurt by your lie, I understand it," Sonny told him. "And I get it. I get taking a chance on everything you've ever wanted because I've done it time and time again. You stood by through all of that, but I never did for you. I think it's time that changed. I've called in a favor from Maximus, he was always fond of you, and I've asked him to back you staying out of the organization."

"You'd that?" Jason looked surprised.

Sonny knew that Jason even questioning meant he hadn't been the best of friend. "Yes. Maximus will keep the others in line, while offering me support in protecting you and your family. Some enemies won't just go away, Jason," Sonny told him, honestly. "But we'll make sure that they never get close enough to strike."

A weight he hadn't even realized sat upon him eased off his chest, and Jason breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Sonny. You have no idea how much this means to me," he said, quietly.

"I have an inkling," Sonny smiled, his dimples showing. "I also wasn't going to rake you over the coals for lying. I'll let Carly do that."

Jason groaned in misery while Sonny laughed.

* * *

Elizabeth went to work the next day, even though she truly did not want to. The weight of this week left her tired. Happy, but tired. There was still so much to do. Even though he had been declared a different person and separate person from Jason Morgan, he felt that he should still file for divorce. He didn't want Sam to try to contest it by saying since his memories are back that he was still Jason Morgan and still married to her. Elizabeth winced, knowing that divorce papers were going to be another harsh blow to the other woman and even after all Sam had done in the past, she didn't deserve any more pain. She finished updating a patient's chart when she saw Monica approach the Nurses Hub out of the corner of her eyes. Honestly, it wasn't Sam that had been her worry about Jason staying with her.

Upset, Sam had been, but she hadn't been vicious. It was a part of her that she had left in the past, Elizabeth hoped. However, he same could not be said for Monica and Carly. Elizabeth respected Monica professionally, but her actions after Jake's death had forever altered her relationship with the older woman. She was dealing with the aftermath of her affair with Nicolas, dealing with the fact her actions let Helena close enough to change Aiden's paternity hurting all three of them all over again, and then Jake's death on top of that? The other woman was so vicious, feeling that Elizabeth stole something from her instead of understanding Elizabeth's grief. It took years before Elizabeth had shed the guilt that was not hers. Her and Jason had wanted to tell Monica the truth, but she had been an alcoholic.

That was on Monica. After she had gotten better, Jason left Elizabeth and both of them decided the truth was better hidden. If anyone owed her the truth of Jake's paternity, it was from Jason. Not her. But after Monica proved that she was every inch of the Quartermaine, the side that would have left Emily appalled, Elizabeth couldn't fault Jason for not telling the woman. The other was horrible to her for years, until she could get something out of Elizabeth. The second AJ considered Elizabeth a friend, Monica saw her way of pushing her son to a "better path" if he dated Elizabeth. Elizabeth hadn't befriended or dated AJ for her. She had liked him, and the fact that Monica even thought that her opinion held value to Elizabeth was laughable.

Elizabeth respected that Monica was Jake's grandmother, and allowed her time with him. She was polite, but there would always be a line there. One it seemed that Monica was only determined to carve into stone. Ever since Jason's identity had been announced, the other woman had talked to Jason about Sam and Danny. Not in front of Elizabeth, but Jason told her all about it. Monica was no better than Carly, who never respected Elizabeth's place in Jason's life at this point.

Elizabeth immediately searched for another file to get busy when Monica called her name. It was a good thing that her back was turned to the other woman, or she would have seen the grimace that twisted across her face. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth composed herself and turned around to face Monica. "Yes, Monica?" She asked, her voice carefully composed.

"I'm glad that I caught you," Monica stated, her voice cordial, but the frosty look in her eyes couldn't be hidden. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" Elizabeth asked, carefully.

"Sam didn't come over. She called and told me she wasn't feeling good," Monica said, her tone of voice stilted. "But I wish you would still brought Jake even if Danny didn't get to. It would have been nice to see one of my grandchildren."

Elizabeth didn't want to get into the specifics. If Sam hadn't told the other woman, it wasn't any of Monica's business. "Like I told you in the text, Jake just wanted a day with his dad and me for himself," she said, which was partially true. "It's more often than not group activities, which the boys enjoy, but they do enjoy some one on one time. It's not that often we get that with three boys, though Jason and I make the effort. If you have free time tomorrow, I can have Jason bring him over then?"

At the mention of Jason's name, the lines around the corner of Monica's eyes tightened. "Ah. So Jason is still at the house with you," Monica said, her tone flat.

Elizabeth froze, then her eyes narrowed. "Yes. He is. Where else would he be?"

"I figured he'd be at the MetroCourt, or at his penthouse," Monica replied, but there was an edge to her voice. "At least, until all of this was figured out."

"Sam is at the penthouse because her and Patrick are on a break. Jason doesn't want to put Sam out, and he doesn't want to have Carly hounding him. Besides, he is perfectly happy at our home," Elizabeth said, fighting to keep her tone light.

"Is he?" Monica asked, with disbelief.

"Yes. Jason has assured me that we're family now, and that he still wants to marry me," Elizabeth said, the cogs inside her mind working slowly. There was a dark feeling in the pit of her gut the longer she stared at Monica, and she felt her jaw clenched. "Monica, what exactly is your problem here because I'm getting the feeling that it has nothing do with not bringing Jake to your house."

Monica drew in a sharp breath, and glared. "I just feel that you are complicating things for Jason and Sam. They need to get past all that's happen, and they can't do that with you wanting to play housewife to Jason and have him be the new daddy of your kids," she snapped, finally saying what she had been wanting to say since Jason's identity came out.

Elizabeth flinched as if Monica had just slapped her, and then...then she got angry. "How dare you? You act like I intentionally inserted myself into Jason's marriage, but that is not how any of this happen. You can't just erase this last whole year no matter how inconvienent it may be for some people," the nurse said, furiously. She didn't care that Monica was her boss or that she was supposed to show respect in the work place. Monica had just crossed a line, and Lizzie was taking no more of it. "I fell in love with Jake Doe, and I had no idea he was Jason that entire time."

Monica snorted, her eyes rolled. "Of course not."

"Oh, my God," Elizabeth gaped, suddenly hit with a harsh realization. She stared at Monica like she couldn't believe what she was seeing, and shook her head side to side. "You."

"Me?" Monica said, not quite understanding.

"You," Elizabeth's voice hardened, "are the reason Sam jumped to that conclusion! The reason she accused me of lying about Jason's identity. You're the one that's been feeding and preying on her fears and insecurities. Why would you do that? To me? To Jason? To Sam? To your grandchildren?" The nurse looked sick, like she might be physically ill. "This situation was already strained enough. Sam was already hurting enough. I was torn up feeling like I was keeping Jason away from his family despite him telling me over and over I was the one he wanted to be with. We were just starting to come to terms with our future, and move on when you said something that made Sam go overboard. Monica, how could you?"

"How could you?" Monica shot back. "You have been keeping a married man from his family, and the one woman he was ever happy with. Have you no shame Elizabeth? Or do you even care about what happens to Sam or Danny?"

"I didn't know Jason was married until the moment Carly announced it! Don't make it out like I was intentionally having an affair with him, and intentionally hiding him from his family," Elizabeth snarled, through gritted teeth. "After that night, I gave Jason oppurturnities to go back to Sam and Danny. I told him that I wouldn't hold it against him, and understood that he had obligations. He is the one that told me that he didn't feel that way for Sam, and that being a father to Danny didn't mean having to be with Sam. Jason is the one made that decision, Monica. Not me."

"Oh, please," Monica shook her head. "You've been after Jason since you climbed those stairs to get pregnant-"

"Shut the hell up," Elizabeth slammed the file down on the counter.

"How dare you?" Monica gaped.

"No! How dare you? You used to be a better person than this, and you would have considered there is more than one side to a story. I didn't go to trap, Jason. I went to Jason because he was the only one not pushing me back to Lucky. He was the only one urging me to do what was best for myself and Cameron," Elizabeth said, with a fury burning bright in her blue eyes. "I didn't go there planning on sleeping with him, or even letting things get that far. It just happened, and we used protection, Monica. But you remember the whole condom scandal that your family was a part of? Guess that should have taught Jason never to trust anything with the Quartermaine name."

Monica's cheeks turned red. "You think you've won something? Jason will realize his mistake, and go running back to Sam once his memories return-" The older woman began to bluster when a voice from behind her stopped her rant cold.

"He already remembers."

Elizabeth and Monica turned to see Sam standing there, with a peculiar look on her face. She seemed to be studying Monica with a shrewd gaze and her dark eyes were filled with suspicious. "You know...I was so worried that Elizabeth was trapping Jason with a lie that I never stop to consider why you told me about your suspicious about Jake and Danny's little conversation? Why not go to Jason himself?" Sam asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well..." the older woman's shoulders sagged slightly. "I knew what you meant to Jason. I figured if he would believe anyone then it would be you. He was happy with you, and I knew that you'd bring him back to his family-"

"Because I had convinced Jason to make you part of his life all those years ago," Sam said, tonelessly. She had thought long and hard about Jason's words. She had sat at home holding her little miracle, and those quiet moments had given her much needed clarity. "I convinced him to let you be of our child's before we even had Danny. Elizabeth is right, isn't she? It was never about wanting Jason happy. You never really believed I could make him happy. You just wanted the one that could guilt him into being a part of your family. To make him a Quartermaine again."

"Sam, that's...that's just not true," Monica said, stuttering.

"No, I think it is. I told you what I overheard because I thought it was cute that Jake was confiding in Danny. You...you are the one who twisted it into something ugly," Sam said, pointing a finger at Monica. "How Elizabeth conned him once before and I believed it. I fell for it even though I knew Elizabeth would never do that. I knew she loved Jason, but I was hurt not understanding why he didn't remember me. I was so wrapped up in myself, and you knew it. You used me."

"She has always tried to trap Jason. She changed Danny's DNA test," Monica said, her voice raised. "She kept Jake's a secret."

"She had her reasons about Jake, and as for Danny's...Jason wasn't exactly the best person in that time. I overheard him many times reassure Elizabeth it was over between him and I, but he never made his desicion final because of guilt over my situation," Sam told her, her voice low and harsh. Damn it, she had been a con artist once. She should have seen Monica con her from miles away, but she had trusted the older woman. Felt at home, and felt like she had this big family like she had always dreamed of and now it was all ruined. "Jason was going to, but he wanted to make amends to me first before going to be with her. He had us both of twisted up, but Elizabeth could handle the guilt over lying for one day about her mistake. She confessed to Jason, and she came to apologize to me. That's more than I ever did for my mistakes. No, I waited until after Jake's "death" to apologize, and I'm sure it meant little to nothing then."

"It meant something, Sam," Elizabeth whispered out. Sam gave her a half smile, but it was obvious Sam couldn't bring herself to believe Elizabeth's words. Sam may have been forgiven by Jason and Elizabeth, but she could never forgive herself.

"Sam, you've changed," Monica stated, trying to placate the other woman. "Elizabeth hasn't. She jumped from one disaster to another dragging her children headfirst with her. She wouldn't even be in Jason's life if they hadn't had that one night stand."

"No," Sam said, coldly. "You know for all her mistakes, Elizabeth has always put those boys first and she is a good mother despite what you've had said. I should have said something when you attacked her after Jake's death. Hell, Jason should have said something, but we were both caught up in the swan dive our lives had taken to see anything else. Also, you don't know two shits about Elizabeth and Jason's history. It started way before Jake, and was more than a one night stand."

It was nails on a chalk board, hearing herself defend Elizabeth and Jason. But she couldn't stand there and listen to Monica's ignorance. Elizabeth had defended Sam and Jason's relationship, even encouraged it. Maybe it was time that Sam did the same. "But you're deflecting, Monica," Sam said, her brows drawn downward and her lips thinned out. "This isn't about Elizabeth. Hell, it's not even about her mistakes that aren't any worse than mine, or Carly, or even yours. This is because she and Jason made the choice to keep Jake from you. And I didn't keep Danny from you, so in your twisted mind you wanted Jason with because you thought Elizabeth would continue to keep you away from Jake, therefore Jason, too. My God, Monica, how can you think that? You are one of the first people she called to come and meet Jake! She brought Jason and her children to Thanksgiving after Jason's identity was revealed!"

Monica's lip pursed, tightly.

"Oh." Sam gave a hollow laugh. "Oh, I get it. You knew that despite all that, Elizabeth still hadn't forgiven you for the way you treated her, and if push came to shove then she could very well take Jake and Jason out of your life again. You knew Jason would chose her over you, but you knew that if I was the one Jason was with I wouldn't do that. Because I was so desperate to be a part of your family. God, I should have listened to Jason when he said you destoryed everything you touched."

Monica went pale. "Jason...he wouldn't..."

"He did, and you know what?" Sam cocked her head to the side, angrily. "I agree with him. We were all struggling to understand what Jason being alive meant, and all coming to terms with that. Then you decide to kick the hornet's nest just to suit you own need. No wonder Jason kept his identity a secret since the Nurses Ball."

"Jason would never do that," a voice came from behind her. Quiet and soft in it's disbelief.

Sam turned to see Carly standing there, and irritation welled up inside of her. She was another reason that Sam had so eagerly jumped on the lie. Carly had been at her doorstep day and night trying to convince her that she and Jason were this be all, end all couple. Carly picked constantly at the sore spot that was insecure that Jason would always leave her for Elizabeth, and tried to diminish their relationship by saying how Elizabeth climbed fifteen flights of stairs to trap him, that if he really wanted to be with her, and Sam had started to buy it. God, being surrounded by these people made her stupid. She had manipulated people of higher caliber than Carly and Monica (not that she was proud of that past by any mean), and yet she had be dupped by them.

Seeing Elizabeth wince out of the corner of her eye, Sam felt regret bubble up inside of her. She hadn't meant to blurt out Jason's secret, but there was no taking it back now. She saw Elizabeth give her a half nod, as if letting her know that she understood and Sam raised her eyes to Carly's. "Really? It's so unbelievable that Jason would hide his identity to finally get the chance that we all stole from him with Elizabeth?" Sam asked, finally understanding all Jason had told her. He hadn't given her anything, but the truth which was more than these two had. "Face it, Carly. It was always going to be Elizabeth and him. It may have taken longer or shorter if different choices were made, but they always find their way back together."

"Sam, I don't know what Elizabeth has said, but Jason will always love..." Carly started, but Sam just rolled her eyes.

"No, Carly. As much as you'd like to pin all your problems on me I haven't said anything," Elizabeth interjected, because she could see Sam was about to snap at either woman. Honestly, if Sam started throwing fists, Elizabeth was almost inclined to join her. "Jason talked with Sam after coming clean, and we've all be trying to find common ground. In case the two of you have forgotten there are children involved. No matter what happens they have to come first."

"You mean your children that you want Jason to play daddy to," Carly sniped, with a tight look.

"No, I'm pretty sure Jason wants to be a father to all of Elizabeth's kids," Sam said, with a lofty look at Carly. "She didn't have convince or manipulate him like you've had to. Seriously Carly do you have any room to call out anyone after the many baby daddies' you have put your children been through?"

Carly was momentarily taken aback. It had been a long time since Sam had lashed out at her, and it was something the blond hadn't seen coming. "Look, Sam, I don't understand why you can be buddy buddies with her after all she has done," Carly began, her cheeks turning red with fury. "But come on, Sam. You know she can't handle Jason's life. She's only break his heart again, I thought neither of us wanted that to happen. I thought you gave a damn about Jason."

"Of course, Sam cares about Jason. Just because they aren't together doesn't mean they aren't going to care, or be friends. They have a son for God's sake," Elizabeth said, staring at Carly with disguist and disbelief. "I would have to say Sam is probably the only one who truly care about Jason out of the three of you, and who the hell are you to judge me, Carly? You've broke Jason's heart so many times, and you watched him break his heart time and time again, but it didn't matter as long as it was the way you wanted him to live his life. You just put up with Sam because you had broken her so down that she was willing to let you walk over her to stay in Jason's life. No offense," she added, shooting an apologectic look at Sam.

"None taken. Looking back at it, I can't believe I put up with this twat," Sam glowered up at Carly, like she was something on the bottom of her shoe. "If I had any ounce of self-respect I would have put you in your place, and put Jason in his, too, for letting you treat me like I was only in Jason's life because you deemed it so. I did genuinely love Jason, but he was right. We settled with each other because it was familiar. What we wanted was unkown, and the unknown scared us. I was down, Jason was down, so we just mindlessly went along with everything. But not anymore. I'm going after what I want, just like Jason went after what he wanted."

"You can't be serious," Carly laughed. "You think that Jason wanted Elizabeth and her brats?"

Elizabeth looked ready to smack a bitch, and Sam wasn't far behind her. "He has always wanted Elizabeth. To be with her and her boys. It's just because Elizabeth won't let you walk over her, and you know Jason will put her first once agreed to be with her," Sam stated, feeling bold. It wasn't often that Elizabeth and her were on the same side of anything, but she had to admit the other woman was a force to be reckon with. It was obvious that Monica nor Carly knew what to make of them both being on the same side. "And that means...well, Jason really wouldn't have the time to put up with now, would he, Carly?"

Carly went to slap Sam, but it was Elizabeth who caught her wrist tightly, and then shoved the blond away. "You know what? I'm about done with this place, and the blondes that think they have an opinion in a situation that only really involves me, Sam and Jason," Elizabeth hissed out, her eyes cold. "The rest of you are a secondary concern, and you need to back off."

"We are Jason's family," Monica said, her face turning a unique shade of pruce. She can't believe she was allying herself with Carly on anything, but here she stood.

"No, we are." Elizabeth gestured to Sam and herself. "We are the mothers of his children. She is his wife, and I'm his fiance. We don't need the peanut gallery running their mouths, so you know what? I quit. Have fun replacing me when there is a murderer on the loose here," Elizabeth said, smugly. She peeled off her name badge, and dropped it on the counter and walked around. "Sam, do you want to come with me? I figured we could talk about setting up a playdate for the boys?"

"I would love to," Sam smiled, sending Carly and Monica one last glare before she followed Elizabeth towards the elevator. The two stepped through the doors, and heard Carly's heel click across the hospital floor as she gave chase, but she wasn't fast enough. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing the elevators slid shut right on Carly's face.

The two stood there for several moments to surpress the smiles on their faces. "That...was more fun than it should have been," Sam stated, and both women burst into laughter. They laughed for couple floors before the moment sobered. Sam brushed her hair out of her face, and sighed, heaviliy. "Look, I owe you an apology."

"I owe you a few, too," Elizabeth admitted.

"No, you don't. I always try not be judgmental. I have a past so I try not to judge, but when Monica even implied that you trapped Jason..." Sam shook her head, shame coloring her cheeks. "I came into your house like I had all the facts, but I didn't. I let Monica make me assume the worst of you, and that's not fair since you've given me the benefit of the doubt. Especially when there was time it would have been easier not to," Sam told her, with a small attempt a smile.

"Well, I'd like to say I'm not judgmental, but I know I can be," Elizabeth said, wrapping her arms around her and turning to face Sam in the small space of the elevator. "If the roles were reversed Sam, and I thought you were doing that to Patrick...I probably would have jumped the gun, and assumed the worst, too."

"That is...the most of it. I did want to make sure you weren't doing that to Jason," Sam admitted, rubbing the side of her neck. "I might not love Jason like I used to, but I do care about him. My husband coming back to life was something I had never considered in a long time, and I have this wonderful fiance who is trying to be so understanding. And I think Jason was right. I was tempted to be with him only because if I did then I didn't actually have to try with Patrick and ruin it," she said, looking down at her shoes. "It wasn't because I wanted him. I've been so focused on what the past meant that I forgot about the great future I've made."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of Sam," Elizabeth said, comfortingly. "Sometimes, we all get caught up in the past and can't find a way out. I know I've been guilty of that many of times."

Sam nodded, allowing the tension to seep out of her limbs. "So I guess the question is where do we all go from here?" She asked, lightly.

"I'm not sure of that myself. I guess, we just have stay true to ourselves, and don't let obligations keep us tied to a past that doesn't fit anymore," Elizabeth said, uncertainly. "I know that we have some ugly history between, but our sons are brothers. I want Jake to know Danny, and be a part of his life. And you are marrying my best friend. I don't want things to be tense between us."

"You're right," Sam breathed out.

"Then?" Elizabeth asked, hopefully.

"I'll try," Sam said, quietly. "You are right. No matter how this all works out, we are apart of each others lives, and we have to find a way to co-exist. So...can Danny still come over this weekend? He has been looking forward to it, and I'd hate to disappoint the boys again."

"Of course," Elizabeth agreed. "The boys would be ecstatic."

* * *

END OF CHAPTER! :D

UP NEXT: THE EPILOGUE (Elizabeth and Jason talks, Sam tells Jason about Monica and Carly, and a look at what happens over the next few months.)

NOTES: Why make Monica a villian and not Sam? Simple. Sam has changed. Even if I think the white washing is a bit much, and I think they should have Sam own her past instead of hide from it, she has done nothing as bad as she did all those years ago. Monica, however, gave Elizabeth a feeble apology and only when she saw AJ with Elizabeth. Only when she wanted something did she even attempt to be nice to Elizabeth, and never truly made up for the way she treated Liz after Jake's death. The woman even accused Elizabeth of abusing Aiden at one point, but it was all swept under the rug. Carly has never accepted Elizabeth's place in Jason's life. Even as Jake Doe, Carly made snide comments, but she was once a friend and encouraged Jake to go after what he wanted. As soon as she found out he was Jason though, she was pushing him back towards his old life and didn't give one second thought to Jake or Elizabeth. As long as she got the Jason who came every time she had a hang nail. This is why Monica and Carly are not my favorities and never will be again.

RRs are appreciated. :D


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital, ABC owns it and it's characters. This is purely for amusement, and to hone my writing skills. Nothing more, nothing less. Thank you so much.

Summary:

When Sam shows up to confront Elizabeth of knowing about Jason, a shocking truth comes out leaving both women blindsided and changes everything.

Pairings:

Liason, with a side of Samtrick and past! Jasam

Situation:

Nicolas told Jason the truth, but because he didn't like Jason Morgan and was in denial, he didn't believe him. Then he took Elizabeth home and started to remember, and realized that if he admitted he was Jason he couldn't be with Elizabeth who he was already half in love with. He remembered all that kept them apart, and saw this as a chance to finally get it right.

I want to thank the reviewers, Liasonfan75, kckepen2, pianogirl1, notenoughlove, trini12180, Guest, bjq, ilovedana53, Guest 2, SoapOperaEmpress, acroiris0502, C, Pamela, kikimoo, lrobinson01!

I want to thank, Of Elfin Blood, kikimoo, notenoughlove, E-Nizzy, NaxieFan48, bjq, fundays, lulubell76, mraymond73, trini12180, BettyBoop48748, arcoiris0502, sherimi, GeneralHospitalFan101, SoapOperaEmpress, aphass, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, butterflyliz, byland lrobinson01, Karebears1981 for the follows!

And I want to thank, kikimoo, notenoughlove, NaxieFan48, leezee, trini12180, BettyBoop48748, arcoiris0502, Livelaugh888, alpalumbo98, mraymond73, theonlythingthatsevermattered for the favs! Thank you all so much!

Guest reviews:

Guest: Thank you!

Guest2: Oh, I wish I could be a GH writer. I would turn stuff around so fast, and not leave plot holes.

C: I'm glad you liked that. I figured once Sam and Elizabeth found common ground that they'd be an unstoppable pair.

Pamela: I'm glad that you liked that. Yep, having them turn everything Carly around on her was fun to write. If only we actually got to see that on the show.

* * *

 **EPILOGUE**

 **"Cause I'm your lady,**

 **And you are my man,**

 **Whenever you reach for me,**

 **I'll do all that I can."**

 **-"The Power of Love", Celine Dion (Played at Elizabeth and Jason's wedding)**

* * *

Surprise wasn't a feeling Jason would say he felt often, but he can safely say that he had never been more surprised in his life to not only see Elizabeth pull into the driveway. But to be followed by Sam? He felt his brows shoot up from where he looked out the window, and he went out the front door and stepped out onto the porch. He saw Elizabeth get out of the car, and walked over to Sam. Neither woman seemed to surprised to see the other, and that just made him even more surprised. They had a quick conversation and a couple of glances in his direction, then they headed towards the house.

Sam stopped at the porch steps while Elizabeth ascended. Elizabeth placed a hand on his arm, and a quick kiss on the cheek then whispered, "She wants to talk. It's alright."

Jason nodded, and Elizabeth gave him a quick smile. He could see some worry on Elizabeth's face, but had a funny feeling it had nothing to do with Sam. Something must have happened at work, but before he questioned her about she gracefully made her way into the house. Jason sighed, running his hand down his brow and turned to face to face Sam. "Sam," he greeted her kindly. "How are you?"

"Better," Sam said, simply. "Better than I have been. Look, Jason, I get why you're on edge around me right now. Last couple of times I've shown up here, I've been way out of line and I am sorry for that."

Jason nodded slowly. "I'm not trying to doubt you or question you, but may I ask what brought on this sudden change of heart?" He could see that she was truly contrite, but he had to make sure.

"Okay. I suppose I deserve that," she huffed, with a small laugh. She brushed her hair out of her face, and looked up at Jason. "I thought about all you said, and I knew you were right. Even when you said, but it was a hard pill to swallow. There was a time that I had built my life around you, and it's easy to pretend it was all magical and perfect. No one likes to remember the bad things after one passes away, and I guess I did that when we thought you dead. It's harder to look back at it, and face the fact that we had issues.

"And the majority of them had nothing to do with Elizabeth. Or anyone else besides us," Sam admitted, her shoulders slumped. "When you came back, there was this part of me that wanted to fix all that. To hide back in the whole Jason's side kick routine, because it was easier to do that to risk myself on Patrick. There was a part of me that thought you'd wouldn't want to have anything to do with Danny because you already built this family with Elizabeth, which was unfair of me. Elizabeth would never make you do that. She has been wonderful to Danny and me, especially when he was sick."

Jason bowed his head, slightly. "Not to cut you off, but since you mentioned it...I know Danny isn't sick right now, but Elizabeth thought it'd be a good idea to have Jake and I tested to see if we'd be a match for Danny. Just in case," he said, quietly.

"That would be amazing," Sam agreed, readily. She may have messed up many things in her life, but Danny was one of the things she got right. She loved that little boy more than life itself because he was the chance that she never thought she'd have. To have the extra security just in case his prognosis turned bad again would lessen her worry tremendously. "I'd appreciate that."

"Alright. I'll have Elizabeth call and set up an appointment then," Jason nodded. "But...uh, back to what you were saying."

Sam swallowed the lump in her throat. "I overreacted. I tend to do that, and more often than not in a bad way. I thought I had accepted your death. I had mourned and moved on, but to suddenly have you back alive? It brought up a lot of questions. More importantly where Danny and I fit in your life," she murmured, crossing her arms over her chest. "I saw how devastated Elizabeth was when you shut her out of your life. I saw how it led her to make regrettable choices with Nicolas and Lucky. I couldn't imagine the pain she was going through alone, and I didn't want to feel that kind of pain."

"Sam...you're my friend," Jason said, seriously. "Danny is my son. You weren't going to be on the outside looking in. I couldn't do that again, to you or Elizabeth."

"I know that now," Sam said, with a sad smile. "When I took Danny home the other day. I just sat there looking down at him while he watched Tarzan, and just held him. He was my little miracle, you know? The chance I never thought I'd have, and it took me just sitting to realize that...our life, our love had been over for a long time. It had it's place, but it was done. That didn't mean I wasn't going to be a part of your life. Just that I was going to have a different role, and that was okay."

A knot of tension and worry that Jason hadn't realized he had been holding in was released. "For what it's worth Sam...I'm sorry for ever making you feel insecure or that you were second best when we were together. I did love you, and I know you loved me," Jason told her, honestly. "Just not in the way either of deserved to be loved."

Sam nodded, accepting that. "For what it's worth, I forgive you and I hope you can forgive me, too," she said, her voice hopeful.

"I already have," Jason promised.

Sam felt like a weight had been lifted, and a wound that had been left open since Jason's death had finally healed. All the doubts and questions that she had about their life together had been put to rest. "Good. Good. I just...I just don't want any anger or resent left to fester between any of us. We've all been put through a lot, and it's time we got a clean slate to move on," she stated, with a smile then it fell. Her eyes darted to the house behind him where Elizabeth had went into only moments ago. "Hey, look...I'm not sure how much you remember, but after Jake died...Monica gave Elizabeth a really hard time. She blamed Elizabeth for never knowing Jake, never admitting it was her alcohol issues and anger issues that kept you from telling. She...even accused Elizabeth of going after you when all Elizabeth did was hug you while delirious with fever. Aiden was sick, and Monica accused her of abuse."

Jason's brows furrowed. "No...I hadn't remembered that yet."

"Well, you should know about it because it caused a big rift between them. For years after, Monica still treated Elizabeth like crap only to let up when AJ started to befriend Elizabeth, and that was only because she wanted AJ to stay sober," Sam stated, with a frown. "I just...thought you needed to know that...Monica is why I jumped to that conclusion about Elizabeth."

"What?" Jason went still.

Sam looked down. "Monica still blames Elizabeth about Jake. I think she thought that if we were together I would bring you back into the Quartermaine fold, or something because I managed to convince you to spend one Thanksgiving over there before..." Sam shrugged, with a frown on her face. "I guess, she knew that if she tried anything like that Elizabeth would shut her down, and she was hoping Elizabeth was lying."

"And sent you as her attack dog," Jason said, his voice too calm.

"Pretty much," Sam grimaced. "Look, the reason I'm telling you is because Monica attacked Elizabeth at the hospital today. I tried to help Elizabeth, but Carly came in, and it became a fight. Elizabeth pretty much told them where they could shove their opinions and quit."

"She quit?" Jason blinked.

"Yeah. And since she has pretty much supported three boys by herself these last few years, she is probably freaking out right now," Sam told him, with a small nod. "You should go to her."

Jason nodded. "Thank you, Sam. For...telling about this, and for helping Elizabeth."

"She's helped me more times than I can count. I think it was time I paid that forward," Sam smiled. "Good-bye, Jason."

"Bye, Sam," Jason said, and after she was in her car, he walked into the house. He stepped into the house to see Elizabeth zooming around the living room on a cleaning frenzy. He slowly shut the door behind him, and watched her for a long moment. "Hon...what are you doing?"

"Cleaning," Elizabeth said, shortly.

"I can see that," Jason nodded, taking one step into the room. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Elizabeth's lower lip quivered, and it was like a dam burst inside of her. "What was I thinking, Jason? I have three boys to support! I can't up and go quit my job all willy nilly without thinking about the consequences!" Elizabeth breathed out, the tone in her voice frantic. She was folding the quilt and putting it right on the back of the couch. Her eyes were darting everywhere, and her heart hammered inside of her chest. "I can't believe I quit!"

"Hey! Hey," Jason said, coming up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He pulled her back to his chest, and wrapped his arms around her. He pressed a kiss to her temple, and felt her sigh. "Elizabeth, it's okay. It's alright. Sam told me about how Monica was treating you, and I don't blame you for quitting. Neither will the boys."

"I know you all wouldn't, but I don't have the luxury of just up and quitting," Elizabeth bemoaned, shaking her head. She was not looking forward to talking to Monica about getting her job back. "And no hospital is going to take me on with all the mistakes I made after Jake's death. They'll see me as a liability before they see me as an assest. I gambled with my kids future once, I can't do that again."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"That five million you gave me to help support the boys. I invested it," Elizabeth admitted, placing her fingers over his. "I thought it was a good investment. It would do a lot of good, and then the money that I got back would tenfold and I could pay for all of their colleges and everything. The invest went sour, and I've been trying to fight to make up for it ever since."

"Hey," Jason whispered out. "Sometimes we have to take gambles for the hope of something better, even if in the end you lose. You just wanted better for your kids, and to do a good thing at the same time. Besides, you don't have to do this all alone anymore, remember?" He smiled, and turned her to face him. "I'm here, and I have more than enough to help support us."

"Jason," Elizabeth said, "you don't understand. I don't want to use you like that."

"Elizabeth, you have never used me," Jason assured her, with a light laugh. "And I want to be here. I want to help support you and the boys. You're my family, and there's nothing more important than to make sure you all have all that you need. Besides, you sheltered and fed me way before you knew who I was. Consider this me paying you back by picking up the slack while you find yourself a different job. Maybe you can even take up your painting again."

Elizabeth smiled. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Jason asked, bringing her hand up to his lips and placed a kiss on the back of each knuckle.

"Make all my fears go away? Make me feel safe and happy?" Elizabeth asked, sighing as he gave her other hand the same treatment.

"Because you're a piece of me, and I'm a piece of you. Two part of a whole, and together...we can weather anything," he promised, and gave her a boyish grin before he lifted her into his arms.

"Jason!" Elizabeth squealed, on a laugh. Jason just nuzzled her neck in retaliation, tickling her with his five o'clock shadow. The two of them laughed and acted like teenagers all the way to the bedroom.

* * *

Port Charles had been abuzz since Jason's identity reveal.

All the vultures eagerly watching the four main players: Elizabeth Webber, Jason Morgan, Samantha McCall, and Patrick Drake. Everyone predicted a blow out. A good cat-fight. Something at all. But as the weeks passed, all they got was a small fight where Elizabeth and Sam had taking Carly and Monica to task. And soon all the people watching grew bored once more and went on to next scandal. That didn't meant that life was all full of sunshine or perfect.

Sam and Jason had amicably divorced, with shared custody of Danny. Sam had never been more relieved than to write her name of that piece of paper, and firmly shut that chapter of her life. Though her and Jason split was amicably because let's face it, their relationship had ended way before now, that didn't meant others were happy about it. Sam suffered harsh judgment from Carly, and surprisingly her sisters, for letting Jason go. Sam could deal with Carly, but had been beyond hurt that her sisters couldn't seem to be happy for her. Sam had been found by Patrick shortly after that, and the two finally talked about what they wanted out of their future. Patrick had been offered a very good job at a different hospital, and he was hesitant because he didn't want to leave Sam and Danny behind. It only took them a week to find a place about two hours out of Port Charles that they wanted to move into to get a fresh start. Far enough away from the daily drama, but close enough to their families that they could visit whenever they wanted to.

Danny would come over every other week, and loved the time spent there. The little boy being the famed son of a hitman didn't have many friends because parents didn't want their kids associating with him. It made the little a target for bullies, much like Aiden had been. So Cameron and Jake finally bonded by being protectors of their little brothers, much to Elizabeth's great relief.

Robin had come back shortly before Sam and Patrick's wedding. Perhaps she was hoping for the same outcome of his not-wedding with Sabrina, but Patrick put his foot down. He told Robin that he would always love her, but too many times she had passed her family over for something else. Robin tried to explain her reasons, but Patrick told her no matter how good her intentions were, her family had suffered over and over for it. Patrick wasn't willing to put himself through that again, and more importantly Emma. Robin had left with tail between her legs, and Sam spent the whole night consoling Emma who had been so upset.

It was shortly decided after that if Robin didn't start coming to see Emma regularly, then Sam would officially adopt Emma. It had been something both Patrick and Sam struggled with because neither wanted to hurt Robin, but Emma needed stability. If Robin wouldn't provide it, then Sam would. Three weeks later, Sam and Patrick were married and adoption paperwork had been started.

As for Elizabeth and Jason, they started preparing for their next wedding and this time hoped it went without a hitch. And there were so many hitches that could happen. Carly had been inviting Jason to lunch after lunch, and lecturing him about not seeing Micheal or Morgan or any of them. Jason told her pointedly that the only child was Jocelyn, and that her boys were grown. If they wanted to see him, they could come and see him at his house. Micheal was overjoyed for Elizabeth and Jason. Morgan just listened to his mom said, and was icy towards them if he saw them. Sonny had tried to be the mediator, but even he was having a hard time putting up with Carly's attitude.

Finally, Jason gave Carly an ultimatium. If she couldn't accept Elizabeth and her boys were his family, too, then they had nothing more to talk about. Carly said she would never accept them, and Jason had left with Carly assuring him that he would be back. He hadn't seen her since, and it was killing Carly.

Monica had been another hurtle. She had tried to explain Jason her point of view, but it just reminded Jason of when he first woke up from his coma. How the Quartermaines had been, how their manipulations drove him away. He knew he was the last child Monica had, but he couldn't handle this. He told Monica that he had no problem with being around her, up until he found out what she tried to pull with Sam and Elizabeth. He was with Elizabeth, and that's where he wanted to be. He wasn't going to be back with Sam, just because it was convienent for anyone else. He had left the Quartermaine mansion, and told Monica to not expect to see any of her grandchildren any time soon.

Monica was currently trying to find out what the grand parent's rights law was in New York, but Jason had already talked to Diane knowing exactly what the woman's next move would be. Diane assured him that she didn't have a leg to stand on.

Jake was doing better. They discovered what happened to him on Cassidine island. How Helena had him conditioned and trained to be some kind of assassin. They didn't know the extent of the training, or if he would ever be able to ever fully let it go, but he was no longer stoic. He smiled, and laughed, and was a normal little boy again. He was no longer angry, or cold to Cameron and Aiden. The boys were practically inseperable now. Dr. Collins was still working with him, and despite Jason reservations, Franco's art therapy was helping, too. It was far from over, but the two parents saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Elizabeth and Jason married that spring. It was a small ceremony, with all the people that trusted and knew would be happy for them. Sonny, Sam, Patrick, Epiphany, Micheal, and Sabrina to name a few. The vows that were exchanged between them had been hand written and from the heart.

"I never imagined myself being here in front of you, your fiance and about to become your wife," Elizabeth had whispered out, tears in her eyes as she stared up at the man that she loved. "I had dreamed of it so many times, but I never thought it would be a reality. Standing here, I'm afraid that any moment that I will wake up, but I know you will get rid of those fears because every moment I wake up after this...it will be to you. I will wake up to you, and to our boys, and our home...and know that no dream could ever make me as happy and feel as love as you do now."

"You came into my life. I didn't expect you. I didn't expect for you to pick me up out of the snow, or to fall in love with you. I didn't know what I had with you until the first time you swept out of my life just as easily as you entered it. I should have appreciated you then," Jason said, his hands squeezing hers. His heart was in his throat, and he fought to get his vows out. "But I swear to cherish you now and forever. For every hurt I have ever done, I will make up for it tenfold. For ever lie I said in telling somone I didn't love you, I will make sure to remind you that I do love you everyday. For every time I walked away, I will endeavour to follow you wherever this life takes us and never leave your side again. I want to be with you through it all because there is no life for me without you, Elizabeth. You're my everything, and my always."

Epiphany wiped her eyes with a tissue at this point, and passed to Sam who was just as teary eyed because it was just so beautiful seeing these two exchanged their vows. Patrick wisely did not tease either of them, and he really couldn't because he was crying, too. An applause went through the church when the two were allowed to seal their marraige with a kiss, and then they celebrated as if it were 1999. Epiphany had many embarassing pictures to prove it, too.

So life wasn't perfect for Sam and Patrick, or Elizabeth and Jason. But it was a start to a beautiful and great future that none of them would trade for anything in the world.

* * *

 **END OF STORY!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed!**

 **RRs are appreciated.**


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